The present invention relates to a gripping apparatus which is in particular to cooperate with the tongs of a remote manipulator in order to permit a reliable and easy remote handling of various objects or loads within an active cell, ensuring the protection of the external environment against radioactive contamination and ionising radiation. As a result of the invention, only minimum tightening of the tongs are necessary which decreases wear to the manipulator during its use.
It has been found that the handling of radioactive materials of various shapes, weights and types in a shielded cell by means of a remote manipulator causes a number of problems. A particularly significant problem is the ensuring of an effective gripping of said materials at an appropriate point, the latter being a function not only of the position of the centre of gravity and the load to be handled, but also of special functional requirements particularly in the case of containers or the like containing liquids, making it necessary to maintain said containers in a vertical or substantially vertical position. Moreover, in the case of glass objects or materials or generally fragile materials, the manipulator tongs must grip at precisely the correct point to avoid the risk of fracturing or breaking said containers. Finally, in certain cases the manipulator tongs encounter difficulties in conveniently seizing an object if the latter is located in a recess of the cell or in an area of the latter encumbered with other materials or objects.